Topographic and cytoarchitectonic organization of thalamic neurons related to their targets in low-, middle-, and high-frequency representations in cat auditory cortex.

We studied the topographic organization of thalamic projections upon different ranges of cortical frequency representation. Thalamic neurons were labeled by injecting horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or tritiated bovine serum albumin into auditory cortex. Injections in individual brains were confined to the same range of frequency representation, and distributed through three or four tonotopic cortical fields in order to label as much of the thalamic projection upon a limited range of frequency representation as practicable. Low, middle, and high ranges of the frequency representation were injected in different brains. The spatial organizations of arrays of labeled neurons are described, and each array is divided into a ventral division and lateral posterior complex (lateral part of the posterior thalamic group), both composed mainly of small cells; and a medial division, composed mainly of medium and large cells. The ventral and medial divisions (located laterally and medially within the medial geniculate body (MGB), respectively), both contact the lateral posterior complex which is located rostrally. The HRP cytoarchitecture of the three divisions is described, and the portions of the ventral division corresponding with the physiologically and cytoarchitectonically defined ventral nucleus are identified. Relatively few labeled neurons were found within other thalamic areas. The topographic organizations of the ventral division (and its tonotopic subdivision, the ventral nucleus), the lateral posterior complex (also tonotopically organized), and the medial division are described. There are planar and concentric components of the topographic organization in the ventral nucleus. Within the planar component, the low-frequency area is located laterally and the high-frequency area is located rostromedially. Within the concentric component, the low-frequency area is located centrally and the high-frequency area is located peripherally. Low-, middle-, and high-frequency areas course without interruption through the planar and concentric components. In the lateral posterior complex, the low-frequency area is located rostrally, and the high-frequency area is located caudally adjoining the high-frequency area in the ventral nucleus. The topographic organizations of the ventral nucleus and lateral posterior complex are consistent with tonotopic maps of these regions. The medium- and large-cell portion of the medial division is also topographically organized, although there may be more overlap among low-, middle-, and high-frequency arrays than in the ventral nucleus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)